Global esports tournament organizer BLAST and the Solihull Council announced Thursday plans to bring the first Rocket League Esports arena event to Birmingham, England, in March 2025. Through this partnership and via some public funding, BLAST will host its first arena event of the year, the RLCS Major 1 Birmingham, in Solihull from March 27 -30, at the bp pulse LIVE. The venue is a multi-purpose, indoor arena located at the National Exhibition Centre in Solihull, and has a seating capacity of around 15,685, depending on configuration.
In addition, a public event called the British Esports Cup featuring Rocket League will take place on the same weekend in March. The British Cup tournament is being facilitated by the British Esports Federation, and will be open to all UK residents ages 13+, with a prize pool of £5K (roughly $6,481 USD). Business esports summit WM Esports Unwrapped is also scheduled to take place in tandem on the same weekend.
“Esports may be a new concept for many of us, but it’s fast becoming an industry of huge economic significance,” Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council and Lead Member for Business and the Economy, said in a release. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the RLCS Major 1 Birmingham to our borough, in partnership with the British Esports Federation and BLAST. It is expected to attract thousands of fans from across the world to the arena, with millions more watching the global broadcast online. The economic benefit to the hospitality and visitor economy in the region is unrivaled with the majority of fans expected to attend the event from out of the area. The event will put our borough on the world stage and promote Solihull, the West Midlands and the NEC event campus as a national and international hub for gaming and esports championships.”
It is important to note that the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the UK government are providing funding for bringing this Rocket League Championship Series Major through the Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund. The Solihull Council is also working in “partnership with BLAST, British Esports Federation, NEC Group, West Midlands Growth Company, and the University of Warwick,” according to the announcement. The end goal for funding this esports event is to “boost trade and tourism sectors and bring vital footfall to local businesses in the region,” according to the announcement. The exact amount of public funds provided to BLAST was not disclosed.
BLAST is the official global esports competition operator of Epic Games’ Rocket League and Fortnite.
BLAST announced first details on its plans for Rocket League esports in 2025 last month via a social media post on X/Twitter, including plans for an increased prize pool of $5M for the new season. The second Major will take place at a location to be announced from June 26-29, followed by the Rocket League World Championship Sept. 16-21 (at a location to be announced). More details about RLCS in 2025 can also be found in this X/Twitter post.